A review by pearlc
Runtime by S.B. Divya

adventurous emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

 

I liked what it was trying to say more than I liked the execution of it. I finished it 3 days ago and it's already fading. The idea of a future where people get embedded technology to enhance performance and a 75 miles race in under 24 hours through the Sierra Navada mountains is just one of many ways this has changed the world is interesting. But the there was too much going on for a novella. It felt cluttered and would have been improved by dropping one or two themes. Society where birthright citizenship is no longer, religion vs technology, parentification of eldest child, class differences, what do we owe each other, earning vs stealing, it was just too much for 128 pages. That might be too much for 400 pages.

That being said I did like our protagonist Marmeg. They were an interesting person to spend time with as they battled their natural tendency to help others with the economic needs they're living with. Marmeg being someone who builds their own gear and is betting their entire future on one race against a slew of people much better off then them is a story I can get behind.